There are some extraordinary things happening here and, as I see it, these are all great for the fans, both present and future. Aces in the deck for sure.
First (see my many reviews on individual sodes in the series) you have a nail-gripping series with great chemistry and stellar performances. If you favor the long arc, you can spend hours figuring out how Red and Liz are/were connected. If you prefer the short arc, you have individual sodes over the 3 year run, some of which are as good as Silence of the Lambs IMHO.
So, going into this year, it was win-win. They could have left the storyline alone but, of course, they did not.
In a rapid-fire helter skelter fashion, fans and viewers were stunned with the death of Liz (which may not in fact be a true death -- the network has been doing very strange press releases on that topic and you can catch them on Google), followed by this strange duet of "end-of-season episodes" that -- as if this were possible -- actually take the series up a notch.
Rarified air indeed! First we have Famke Janssen (who looks MARVELLOUS) acting her little heart out as a sociopathic mercenary so amped up she actually makes Red seem as normal, and harmless, as your Uncle Henry.
And in this episode -- no one can accuse the producers of skimping on the casting budget -- they also brought in Ulrich Thomsen (of Banshee fame) an actor who can make a weather report sound like a death threat.
And BTW the whole "mission impossible" segue is pitch perfect!
Whatever treats Season 4 may have in store for us -- and I have high expectations! -- these final episodes are a great ride.
First (see my many reviews on individual sodes in the series) you have a nail-gripping series with great chemistry and stellar performances. If you favor the long arc, you can spend hours figuring out how Red and Liz are/were connected. If you prefer the short arc, you have individual sodes over the 3 year run, some of which are as good as Silence of the Lambs IMHO.
So, going into this year, it was win-win. They could have left the storyline alone but, of course, they did not.
In a rapid-fire helter skelter fashion, fans and viewers were stunned with the death of Liz (which may not in fact be a true death -- the network has been doing very strange press releases on that topic and you can catch them on Google), followed by this strange duet of "end-of-season episodes" that -- as if this were possible -- actually take the series up a notch.
Rarified air indeed! First we have Famke Janssen (who looks MARVELLOUS) acting her little heart out as a sociopathic mercenary so amped up she actually makes Red seem as normal, and harmless, as your Uncle Henry.
And in this episode -- no one can accuse the producers of skimping on the casting budget -- they also brought in Ulrich Thomsen (of Banshee fame) an actor who can make a weather report sound like a death threat.
And BTW the whole "mission impossible" segue is pitch perfect!
Whatever treats Season 4 may have in store for us -- and I have high expectations! -- these final episodes are a great ride.